Tom Frazier: Fun in the online forums

Sometimes it seems as though the Sun-Star has a never-ending battle with various elements of its audience. Readers get upset and voice their opinions by using the comments section of online stories.

Others start their own thread by posting a blog on the Sunspot forum.

Either way, other readers then pile on -- some in agreement and some in strong disagreement. It seems like there is no middle ground when one of these brouhahas erupt.

Imagination runs amok.

"If Tharp doesn't apologize, fire him!"

"Write to Gary Pruitt!" (The head honcho at McClatchy.)

"Stop your subscription!"

"Boycott Sun-Star advertisers!"

"Contact advertisers and tell them to pull their ads!"

Let's think about some of these options.

First, if an editor makes a decision, then apologizes after some complaints, it tells me he didn't do his homework. If he used his journalistic experience to arrive at the decision, there should not be a reason to change his viewpoint. Ever.

On the other hand, if his initial decision was "wrong," you can bet "corporate" will be all over him -- like ants at a picnic. I'd bet his phone and voice mail would not be a pretty sight/sound.

How about leveraging advertisers? On the surface, that sounds like a reasonable approach. But looking more deeply, it shows flaws -- serious flaws.

Advertisers don't spend their money because they like the Sun-Star. They do so because the audience will most likely become their customers. Advertising revenue comes back in increased sales.

Suppose all readers contacted all advertisers and asked them to stop their ads, unless an apology was issued? Further, let's assume the advertisers agree and issued the ultimatum.

And the editor would not apologize ...

So the advertisers' revenues plunge and the Sun-Star revenue plunges. The Sun-Star gets smaller or goes out of business. I call this scenario a real lose-lose-lose. No one wins.

I know, you're thinking that's pretty farfetched. I agree.

Instead, the most likely scenario is that the advertisers will listen to the complainer and probably just shake their heads.

Stop your subscriptions? That's certainly anyone's option -- but should be an individual decision. A mass withdrawal -- like the bank run in the movie, "It's a Wonderful Life," seems like overkill to me.

This is especially true when you realize the main instigator is a gentleman (I use the word loosely) who doesn't even live in our area. He's from "down south."

It's too bad more readers don't see online comments or the Sunspot blogs. It's actually fun following these mini-soap operas.

Oftentimes, Mike Tharp will pop in to clarify a point, contradict a comment or amplify another. So the story is constantly changing and growing.

I wish other reporters would follow Mike's lead and post comments on their stories now and then.

Even though the comments and forums are fun, there are possible minefields. There's little control over usernames. One individual could have multiple personalities.

So?

That means you could have three or four people on the attack, when in actuality, it's the same person making the situation look worse.

You also have to be prepared for barbs being thrown back and forth between users, instead of discussing the issue at hand.

But, once you get used to the anonymous, free-spirited debates, it's an absorbing way to see how others think. You don't need to post at all; instead you could just "lurk." That's what the Sun Dog does.

Come on in -- have some fun in the forums.

Tom Frazier writes Sun Dog and can be reached at sundog@promessage.com.